The Kisses We Share
by allure000
Summary: Gemma recieves a suprise visit from our favorite man with curls! Will she finally be able to reveal her true feelings for Kartik? And Vise-Versa? GemmaKartik! R&R Please!
1. In my room

This takes place… ok, admittedly, I don't know when it takes place. I just wanted to right a passionately romantic Kartik/Gemma fic. So, invent your own time period and maybe it'll work! Don't forget to review at the end!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Libba Bray characters and stuff. I do own the books though they kick butt.

My sigh fills the empty room, leaving a patch of fog on the window. I have my forehead pressed against the glass and I'm looking out. But I don't see anything. My mind is miles away from the room that Ann and I share, somewhere out there beyond the glass. I could feel my head aching from having it pushed up against the cold glass for so long but I find that it doesn't bother me. Not as much as something else.

The rain trickles down the window, blurring any sight of the outside world that I would otherwise be able to see. It's February now and I find that I'm not very fond of it at all. It's done nothing but rain and chill all the girls to the bone. Anne even developed a terrible cough so she had been sleeping in the sick ward for the past two days. I've heard word that she isn't the only one.

I pull my head from the window and walk about the frigid room, hugging myself and shivering. I pass by the dressing table and take a gander at myself. I gasp and frown, seeing a large red blotch right in the center of my forehead where I'd been pressing it against the window. "Oh, bloody hell," I mumble and press it with the pads of three fingers, trying to see what I could possibly do to make it go away.

"Language, Miss Doyle," a laughing voice warns. I spin around and see Kartik standing near my open window, leaning his back against my wall and his arms crossed over his chest. A smile was tugging at his lips and drops of rain fell out of his hair, puddling around his feet.

"Kartik!" I hiss, looking over at my open door. I stumble over to it, poke my head out into the hall and push the door shut with a light click when I was certain no one was coming. I turn and try to glare at him. "I told you, no more night calls," I lecture him without feeling the words.

He just grins at me and shakes his head, the water from his hair flying all over my bed and the floor. My shocked expression makes him laugh and he turns to close my window again. "I know you did. And I also know that you didn't mean it."

He got me there. I hadn't meant it. Kartik had made it a habit to hop through my window at ridiculous hours of the night, especially now that Ann was sick and out of the room. Every time he would always inquire about the Realms and if anything had developed now that the magic has been bound by yours truly. More often then not, though, we'd get off subject and talk about other things. He didn't seem to notice this, but I certainly did.

In fact, I was beginning to wonder why he hadn't asked about the Realms yet. "You know that I'll probably be kicked out of Spence and disowned should I be found with a _boy_ in my room, don't you?"

He just grins and turns around to face me. I notice that his cheeks were flushed pink, probably from being out in the cold rain and then in the sudden warmth; if you even want to call it warmth. His voice is full of warmth, defying what he must physically be feeling, "Yes, I know. And yet you still don't lock your window." His chuckle rumbles in his chest and I could feel everything about me warm up, an involuntary blush spread across my nose and cheeks.

I know it's not right to have a man in my room. I know it's quite improper and that I would have a black mark on my reputation for the rest of my life should we be caught. But something about what we were doing… the danger, the secretivity of it makes my heart race and I find that I'm addicted to the feeling. I walk over to my closet and lose myself inside. "You must be freezing," I comment.

I could imagine him shrugging as he said, "It's not terrible. Nothing I haven't felt before."

Still, when I emerge, I have an old wool blanket in my arms and my hair's in complete shambles from being brushed against the dresses hanging inside the wardrobe. "Here. Wrap up in this and sit there in that corner," I motion to the darkest corner of the room that was also the warmest. He gives me a skeptical look and walks towards me with full, strong strides that make my legs weak. Very slowly, he reaches his arms out and I lay the blanket in his arms, my hands brushing along the inside of his elbows and sliding down the length of his forearms and down his big rough hands before letting go completely. It wasn't until after that he had walked around me to go settle in the corner did I realize that I had been holding my breath.

Blinking rapidly, I try to get my stomach to stop doing flips and, after composing myself respectfully, I turn to walk towards my dressing table only to see that Kartik hadn't gone to the corner like I instructed. Instead, he was bent over and was rubbing at his head with the wool blanket, drying his hair. He spots me looking at him and smirks at him, straightening and tossing the blanket onto my bed. "Thank you, Gemma. I feel much better."

I blush when he uses my name. I sit, facing him and cross my feet at the ankles, resting my hands in my lap. I was a bit curious as to why he hadn't asked about the Realms yet. So, I offer him an answer to the unasked question. "Nothing new has really happened in the Realms, Kartik. There've been a few small scuffles amongst the inhabitants but nothing that should be of concern." I stare at him, waiting for a response or a lecture or both. But he didn't even seem to be paying attention. His eyes were trained on me but he didn't appear to be seeing.

I move towards him and wave my hand in front of his face, "Kartik? Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Panic rises in my chest when he doesn't really respond. I'm so worked up about this that I jump when I feel a hand rest on my waist and I look down to see a large, dark hand there. At first, I don't know how to respond to this so I whisper breathlessly, "Kartik..?"

When I look up, his face is much closer to mine then I remember. His eyes are no longer blank but gazing intently at me. Something inside those dark eyes makes my heart flutter and the breath whoosh from my lungs. An emotion that I hadn't ever seen there before that excites my imagination and body but confuses my civil mind. I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out so I just close it again and look up at him.

From the corner of my eye, I could see his other hand moving towards my face and with a gentleness that surprises me, he caresses my cheek, his fingers cold and rough. I fear that I will fall over from the sweet bliss that encompasses my entire body and it is as if he has sapped me of all my energy. He has to have read my mind because I could feel his hand, so big near my smallish waist, slide forward until he has it resting against the small of my back. His thumb strokes under my eye and I could feel my lips part and my brain screaming, _"Kiss me."_

His fingers on my face reluctantly move away and back into my hair, stroking the red threads with such a tender touch that I know I must be dreaming. This couldn't be Kartik. Kartik would never touch me like this; make my heart race in this way. I feel his hand on my back press hard and I'm pushed up against his firm body. I hear myself gasp at the movement, the combination of his body pressed hard against mine and his hand stroking my hair almost too much for me to bear.

Again my mind screams, _"Kiss me."_

Kartik's lips smile humorously and he lowers his head, pressing his forehead against mine and whispering huskily to me, "As you wish, Lady Hope." It's then that I realize I must've spoken aloud but there wasn't time to blush. His hot lips were on mine before I knew and a moan reaches my ears. I would've normally been embarrassed to know that it was mine, but at the moment, I didn't care. His fingers, tangled thoroughly in my hair, move to the back of my head and he deepens the kiss. I feel my legs buckle and his grip around my body tightens, pushing me ever closer to him.

I feel wet and I realize that the rain on his clothes was seeping through my own. But I didn't care. All that mattered was his hot, sweet lips that tasted like India itself pressed against mine and this tongue-

Oh my.

I feel his tongue lick my lips and I gasp through my nose, opening my mouth just like he'd wanted. He slips it inside of me and I could feel his tongue stroking my own. I'm so much in shock that I don't register very quickly to move my own with his. Eventually, though, he runs it along the top of my mouth and my own tongue flicks to life, beginning the heated war. I moan again, finding that at some point I had closed my eyes without realizing it.

We finally break, the need for air growing greater than the desire gathering in my stomach. It's then when the blood pumping in my ears has died down a little that I realize there are heavy footsteps coming down the hall. Panic grips me like a vice and Kartik pushes away from me, bolting towards the window. I assume that he's heard it too.

"Wait!" I found my breathless voice whispering loudly to him as he scrambles to climb onto the window. He looks back at me, his lips a little swollen from the fevered kiss.

The kiss he gave me. The kiss we shared.

"You can't come back here," I tell him regretfully. After what happened just moments ago, I knew that he couldn't come back without something similar happening again. It wasn't safe, not here at Spence where the maids roamed the halls and there weren't any locks on the doors.

He seems to consider this and says in a rush, "Come to me then. Tomorrow after hours. By the lake." We both stiffen when we hear shuffling right outside my door. His eyes soften and he whispers, "I'll see you tomorrow, Lady Hope." And he's gone.

The door to my room opens and Ann comes in. She still looked rather pale to me as she looked about the room. Her eyes strayed to the blanket piled on the floor to the puddle near the window to the window itself which was open. She sniffled and finally looks at me, staring curiously but not asking questions. I move over to the window and shut it tight. I look out across the lawn, hoping to see the retreating form of the man that would invade my dreams tonight. I press my fingers to my lips, still feeling the tingle of where he'd kissed me, my mouth still warm from his invading tongue.

"Gemma? Are you coming to bed?" sniffles Ann from under her covers.

"Yeah…" I whisper, watching the blotch of fog appear from my breath. I turn and walk towards my bed, slipping under the covers, not realizing until I'm buried in the warmth that I'm still wet from his clothes.

Tomorrow night, I will meet him again.

My skin tingles with excitement. I find that I can't wait, that I want to see again as soon as possible. His name bounces around my head and when I sleep, I see him, bent over me. I feel him, his lips everywhere at once and I whisper his name over and over, loving the feel of it on my lips. It was like water to me when I'd been wondering the desert for days. In my dreams, he confesses his undying love for me, that he'd always loved me.

When I awake, I feel empty. It's then that I realize how much I wish it were true.

Ok, that concludes the first chapter (maybe only. Depends on how much you people like it). I would really like it if you people would drop a review! It would mean a lot to me and encourage me to write another chapter, if you want it.

Thanks for reading! Review!


	2. At the Lake

Hey everybody! Wow, I have to say that I was SHOCKED at all the reviews I got for this story! It really really really helped my self esteem, I gotta tell you. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This chapter's just for you.

A very special thanks to light.a.candle for pointing out that the language in India is not Indian but Hindi. I think I found all my mistakes and I fixed them for you! Thanks again for bringing that to my attention!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or Spence, etc. They all belong to Libba Bray who is a genius in my opinion.

Chapter 2

I found myself just going through the motions that day. If anyone were to ask me what I had for breakfast or lunch, I wouldn't have been able to tell them. I really don't think anyone even noticed my changed mood; not even Felicity and Ann.

During break, we sat huddled in the tent in the sitting room. Felicity was being particularly obnoxious and trying to steal my hair ribbon. It was my favorite one made of green silk and I'd worn it just for Kartik. The thought of him made the air whoosh from my lungs and my vision swim. I couldn't wait to see him again and maybe… just maybe my dream would come true.

"What's your problem?" Fee asked as I testily yanked my ribbon back and tried to put my messed hair back together.

"Nothing," I snapped in reply, sighing when I couldn't seem to get it back into my hair properly. I turned to Ann and smiled as sweetly to her as I could, "Ann, would put this back in my hair?"

Ann simply nodded and took the ribbon from my hands and did as I asked.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," sniffed Fee. "You've been acting strange all day, Gemma Doyle." Ok, maybe they _have_ noticed my mood swing. Just then, a glint in Filicity's eye catches my attention and I can practically predict what's going to come out of her mouth. "Gemma, dear, why don't we take a trip to the Realms tonight? Maybe that'll cure your temper."

I want to tell her that I already have plans that will help with my "temper" but that wasn't an option. I feel a tug on my head and Ann's hands raking through my red locks, smoothing out the tangles. "No, I think not."

Fee seemed angst, "Oh, but why not?"

"Because… because I just don't want to." I'd run out of good reasons.

Filicty's lip curled wickedly and she narrowed her eyes at me. "I knew it. You just don't want to take us because you want the garden to yourself!" Ann's fingers falter a moment in my hair and I knew she was considering this. Before I could open my mouth and defend myself, Fee was on her feet and ducking out the tent, speaking harshly over her shoulder, "Come, Ann. We don't need to be in _her_ company." And they were gone.

I sigh and fall over onto my side, my head hitting a pillow. Fee was always getting mad at me for refusing to take them to the Realms. We haven't gone since I bound the magic, the fear of what we will find when we got there stronger than my desire to actually go.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to get my mind off of what just occurred. Instead, I thought about tonight and how I would manage to sneak away. Would he look at me longingly and take me up in his arms like a hero in the books I've read?

There was only one way to find out.

I held my breath and stuck my head out in the hall. It was nearly midnight so I really didn't expect anyone to be roaming the corridors, but you can never be too cautious, right?

Seeing no one, I slipped out of the room where Ann slept deeply, snoring per usual. I shut it with a soft click and stole away down the hall, anxiously peering around every corner before darting to the next little hiding place. I don't believe my heart has ever pounded as loud as it did while I was trying to get out of the building.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally found myself running across Spence's wide lawn, tripping over my naughty skirts and eventually hiking them up as I sprinted away. When I reached the woods, I darted around trees and tripped over roots, feeling like quite the ungraceful lady.

When I finally stumbled out into the clearing where the lake resides, I was fully out of breath and completely aware of the biting cold attacking my nose and ears. I crinkled up my nose and hugged myself tightly, trying to find where all the warmth had gotten to. In my rush to arrive at the shining lake, I hadn't noticed the cold. Now, it was seeping through the fabric of my blue chapel outfit and I pull the hood tighter around my head.

After getting as warm as I think I was going to, I walked more towards the lake, my eyes roaming the circumference of it and searching for that tall, muscular body of the man that I lo-

Loved? That wasn't right, was it? Why would my mind conjure something like that? No, there must be some mistake, of course. Kartik is the man that takes my breath away, that makes my legs buckle and everything about me seem like jelly. He was the man that I share sweet kisses with and whose hands on my face and in my hair make me dream of him at night.

But he wasn't the man I loved. Surely not. That sort of thing was forbidden in society.

All of the thoughts seem to leak out of my head when a realization hit me. He wasn't there. The entire area around the lake was clear. I could hear my heart denying it and I took off in a brisk walk to the lake. I went to the boat house and completely circled it, finding nothing. I walked out onto the dock, not knowing how that would help, and looked around again. Still, he was not there.

I felt the tears starting to well up behind my eyes. I hadn't noticed how much my heart was set on seeing him and having him touch me like that again. Not until this moment. The tears were quick to move forward, blurring my vision to the point where the shadows of the trees blended with the glimmering lake. I just closed my eyes and bowed my head, feeling my heart hurt. Perhaps it was breaking.

Kartik said to meet him here. But he wasn't here. I longed for him to just walk up behind me and whisper into my ear at that moment. I could practically feel his hand pressed against the small of my back and moving forward along my waist, coming to rest on my stomach. It seemed so real when I imagined him pulling me back against him, my back to his front, his other hand coming up and moving the hair away from my neck so that he could tickle it with his breath-

I gasped and spun around, coming face-to-face with a chuckling Kartik. He was smiling openly and his hand, which had been on my stomach, moved back around to the small of my back like the first time. I swallowed and breathlessly, and rather stupidly, said, "Kartik."

His dark eyes glimmered, "Yes. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." He seemed to now notice the tears on my cheeks and I perceived them too. His smile fell and he frowned at them, whispering softly, "Oh, Gemma."

I moved my hand to wipe them away but he beat me to it. His palm, rough as evidence of hard work throughout his life, gently cupped my cheek. I felt completely aware of his closeness to me, of how my chest barely brushed against his when I breathed; if I was breathing at all. His thumb moved along the wet path on my cheek, picking up the tears that I had cried for him.

Then I felt rather foolish. How could I believe that he wouldn't show up when he plainly said he would? Guilt settled in on me and I took a breath to apologize for doubting him but he was one step ahead of me. Quicker than I could determine what was happening, he moved in pressed his lips against mine. My eyes closed and I felt like falling but he caught me with his strong arms, refusing to let harm come to me. His hand that had wiped away my tears moved to the back of my neck. I felt his fingers rub the muscle and I made a sort of high pitched sighing noise that I can't quite describe.

He seemed to find this rather funny because I felt and heard him chuckling into my mouth. That rather put me off, I have to say. I pulled away from him and he made an equally strange whimpering noise. "Hey," he started but I cut him off with a glare.

"It's not funny."

He chuckled again and I could feel his chest vibrate as he did so. "What's not funny?"

"You know very well what!"

He shrugged his shoulders and leaned close to me, moving both his hands to rest against my back. "You're very beautiful when you're mad."

This completely threw me for a loop. It was the very last thing I ever expected to hear come out of his mouth. He thought I was beautiful? Never mind that he specified when I was angry. The point is he thinks I'm beautiful. I want to say something but there were a couple problems with that. Firstly, I didn't know what to say. Secondly, I imagined that I would have a horrible stutter should I manage to think of something and get up enough will power to actually say it.

Kartik was quick to solve this problem. He pressed his forehead against my own and looked into my eyes in a way that made my heart skip and my airflow momentarily stop. Why was he looking at me that way? It was full of emotions that I didn't recognize. My eyes widen as a thought occurred to me. Could Love be among those emotions? Oh, how I longed for it to be.

I noticed a movement at my waist and I felt Kartik start to rub back and forth, going from my back to my sides and then to my back again. I saw his lips move but I was so wrapped up in what he was doing that I couldn't understand him. "What?" I asked, my cheeks tinting pink.

"Never mind," he told me with a small smile. He leaned into me and kissed my frigid nose and I felt immediate warmth spread through my face and all the way to my fingertips. Next, he pressed his lips against my cheek and whispered more words that I could not understand. I recognized that it was a different language and with a sharp intake of breath, identified it as Hindi.

As he whispered sweet things to me that I couldn't begin to decipher, I lowered my head so that I was looking at his throat. By chance, I looked down and with a flare of embarrassment, noticed that my fingers were playing with the buttons of his shirt. I felt my cheeks burn with my blush, feeling- well, I'm not sure what I was feeling. But I instantly dropped my hands and rested them instead on the inside of his elbows, my fingers curling around his arms and giving a light squeeze. I shivered when I felt him flex and an excitement welled up in my chest. He was so strong…

His mouth was at my ear now. I felt his hot breath tickling me and then I felt a strange sensation that made my eyes widen and stand in shock at how good it felt. It took a minute for me to grasp that he was kissing the area right behind and below my ear. I think I did gasp this time because I felt his chuckle purr against my skin and one hand at my waist move to press against the side of my head, his palm resting against my other ear.

"Kartik," my mouth whispered. I felt light now, like there wasn't a care in the world that I couldn't handle. How did he manage to do this to me? To make me feel this way?

"Lady Hope," his low, husky voice filled my ear, "You are shivering." He was right. I was shivering. But not for the reason he assumed. He was pulling me now, enveloping my body in his arms, holding me close. Had I been aware of the cold before, I was sure that I wouldn't have noticed now.

"I'm just…" I started but found I couldn't finish.

He brushed my hair behind my shoulder and bent over to whisper into my ear, "I know." This made my heart skip in my chest and momentarily stop breathing. He knew. He knew and maybe he felt the same.

I wanted to shake myself then. The same as what? There was nothing to be felt the same about…

Oh, I'm a horrible liar- especially to myself.

He was saying something now. All I could respond with was a rather stupid, "Hm?"

"Come, Lady Hope. The night is young and it's cold out here." He turned so he was standing next to me, wrapping one arm around my waist and gripping my elbow with his other hand. His thumb rolled over the round joint of my elbow and he started to direct me towards the words, his mouth back next to my ear and whispering in Hindi again.

As he led me away, it dawned on me; we were headed towards his campsite.

Alone. Just the two of us. No one else around.

I didn't even hesitate as he guided me away.

Ok, I suppose this means I'm going to have to write another chapter, huh? At the tent? Where the rating may go up coughcough unless, of course, everyone hates me now and never want to see another thing I write for as long as they live. That's what I'm going to assume unless you review! Reviews help to motivate my young, impressionable mind!

Everyone that reviewed last chapter: I LOVE YOU! You are they greatest people EVER! This chapter was especially for you guys!


	3. At the Camp

Alright, so it was brought to my attention after reading all of your FABULOUS reviews that I changed tenses between the chapters. I did sort of notice this but I was too lazy to go back and fix it (sorry! It is summer; I'm too lazy for a lot of stuff). Yes, that's the reason. Sad, I know. But most of you didn't seem to mind anyways, so it doesn't especially bother me. I guess I'm just going to make it a habit to write in the same tense from now on (Maybe. You never know when I might get a whim).

And I pre-apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors I make! I'm sure there was some I missed… Sorry!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even this computer

Chapter 3

I remember when I told myself that my heart had never beat louder then when I was stealing away from Spence earlier than night. Well…I lied.

Never once on the way to his campsite did he stop whispering to me or kissing my ear. Now, I was in a better mind and caught snatches of words that I understood. "Beautiful… Like fire… Soft… Forever." I wasn't sure how to connect these words in my head but all of them were achingly romantic. I'd never really thought of him as a hopeless romantic who would whisk me away in the dead of night.

Silly me.

I could see a flickering fire now. It was decent sized, enough to warm two people. His grip on my elbow tightened and he led me around so that we were between his tent and the fire. The tent's door flap was help open by a string tied to the side pole, the inside swallowed by darkness. As I gazed into that endless dark, I wondered exactly what I was getting myself into. Clearly there was more going on tonight than I had led myself to believe; that is, if I ever believed it at all.

"Wait here," urged Kartik and he released me, disappearing inside the abyss. I felt suddenly very alone without him right at my side and desperately wanted him to come back. I turned and faced the dancing fire, watching the hypnotizing flames rise up and break off then rise up again. I nearly jumped when Kartik returned, pressing his hand against my back and chuckling into my ear. "Are we a little tense, Gemma?"

His hand was at my neck again, rubbing and melting all my apprehension away. I felt my shoulders slump and I leaned forward a bit, sighing softly and shaking my head. "Come," he murmured into my ear and he guided me to sit with him on the ground. I wondered for a moment where all my fight had gone; why wasn't I resisting him? Everything told me I should. I should at least say something quick witted to let him know that I'll do what he asked but with reluctance.

I just didn't feel like lying to him.

I sat as he bid me to. I leaned into him as he wanted. I did everything without hesitation and this willingness to please him, to do as he asked scared the bloody hell out of me. His arm rested firmly around my waist, holding me close to his left side. My eyes stared blankly ahead, not seeing and only feeling what his words were doing to me; what his entire being was doing to me.

"You're quiet, Gemma," he stated. I felt his nose nuzzle below my ear and I shivered.

"Yes," I said dumbly. I didn't know exactly how I was to respond to that so I figured it would be best to just agree with him. In fact, I was rather surprised when he didn't press it further. Perhaps he was fully aware of what he was doing to me. Perhaps he'd planned it out all this way for some reason or another. This concept angered me a little but then another entered my mind. Perhaps I was just looking for reasons to get away. Maybe I was afraid to have him make me feel so good.

His hand moved at my waist, pulling me closer still so that his palm was over my stomach. His mouth was close to my cheek and I could feel the brush of his lips as he spoke, "Gemma… What is your heart's desire?"

My mind almost didn't dare to think it. _I…_

His right hand moved to my shoulder and tugged at my blue cloak, exposing just a bit of my shoulder. My cheeks flushed and I closed my eyes, concentrating on breathing evenly and not gasping.

_I want_…

His lips were warm on my shoulder. He kissed into the crook of my neck, never rough and always gentle. My concentration was fully gone by now and I gulped in air, feeling the corset around my abdomen becoming tighter by the second. I feared that it would cut me in two.

_Kartik, I want…_

I felt his soft skin under my hand and became conscious of the fact that I was caressing his cheek. I looked down as he looked up and our eyes locked for one electrifying moment. He straightened so that he was once again taller than me and I saw the mixed emotions in his eyes again.

_I just want you to…_

His hand was on my cheek and he tilted my head back with ease. I closed my eyes, cutting off the sight of his face looming near though the image never actually left me. His fingers stroked my cheek and my temple, down to my neck and into my hair. Something hot and soft pressed against my mouth and I could feel myself melting with the heat. The kiss quickly escalated to something more than a kiss. It was passionate, it had fire and I was drawn into it, unable to pull myself away.

_Kartik…_

My cloak fell away but I didn't feel the cold. His hands moved up and down my arms and I found myself leaning more into him. His tongue slipped into my mouth timidly as if almost frightened that I would chase it back out again. I didn't take long to respond this time and quickly flicked my own tongue up to touch his, feeling a jolt course through my body at the touch.

_All I've ever wanted…_

I felt my dress start to pull away from my body, the dress I had never changed out of before coming here. Something inside of me, just below my skin screamed at me to stop him before it went too far. But there was something else, a voice much deeper within me that told me this was right.

_When you touch me this way…_

My dress was around my waist, leaving the top part of my body in just my corset and under bodice. I felt him fumbling with the strings of my corset and I heard myself whimper, dying to get out of this constricting prison. With a gasp, I pulled away from his mouth and took in several gulps of air, glad to be released. His mouth found mine again and we shared a different sort of kiss. This was needier, more urgent.

_I just want to hear you say it…_

He leaned into me harder as to lower me to the ground. I was hardly conscious of the fact that I was laying down. I was, however, completely aware of the weight on top of me, crushing me in the most amazing way. His hot breath spoke heavily into my mouth, "What does your heart desire, Gemma?"

_Tell me, Kartik…_

He pushed away my dress and pulled off my corset, leaving me in my thin cotton camisole. His lips left my own and he tilted my head back again so that he could run his lips all over my throat. He moved to the side a little and I felt his tongue pressing against a point in my neck where both of us could feel how hard my heart was beating. This seamed to spur him on for he then moved to my neck, kissing and nipping at my skin, no doubt leaving behind little marks.

_Say it…_

Lips on the far edge of my shoulder, moving down and across my collarbone. I closed my eyes and reveled in this feeling that I'd never felt before. There was something inside of me begging to be released and he was the key. My heart's desire…

_Tell me that you love me…_

Kartik's mouth left my collarbone and moved to my jaw, whispering short phrases in languages I didn't know. He reached that pleasurable place near my ear and kissed there then moved to nibble on my ear lobe. He said something into my ear that I did not understand but recognized it as English. "Hm?"

He laughed and I felt him shake his head. I could feel his smiling lips against the curve of my jaw before he pulled away. Gazing at me in such a way that took my breath away, I felt I would drown in his dark eyes. He whispered clearly, "I love you, Gemma Doyle."

Before I had time to respond, he leaned into me and kissed my lips again. I was becoming somewhat conscious of the fact that my arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, entering a place where time, pain, danger and the Realms didn't-

Wait.

Hold on.

Did he say he loved me?

He was pushing the fabric of my camisole off of my shoulder and he left a trail of kisses all along the length of it, moving until his head was turned to kiss the inside of my elbow. I couldn't help giggling and shifting and he smiled. It was such a rendering smile, so happy to hear me laugh, that I could feel my heart swelling at the sight of it. "I love you," he said again, as if I didn't hear it the first time.

He loved me. And it was then, in that moment of finally hearing him say it that it dawned on me. I almost laughed at my own stupidity.

I loved him too.

Plain and simple.

Love is a funny thing. It feels kind of like a captive animal. When it's discovered and set free, it flies away, high above the earth. Our hearts were split open and love flooded the earth leaving us no choice but the fly.

And we did.

AN: Ok, I know what my faithful readers are thinking. I'm a complete and total ass because I left them hanging for over a year (SO SORRY!!) and then I go and don't even make a 4th chapter. But after putting off the last chapter and going back and reading the first 3, I realized there is no possible way that I could live up to what I've already written. I honestly didn't have another choice but to just end it here unless you wanted a disappointing chapter.

I hope this will make due! Thank you sooo much for reading my story and I hope you liked it even though it's an awful place to stop.

Love you all!

--allure000


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